Book-Update

East by Edith Pattou

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


This is a great book. Written in several voices, it shows you 5 differing perspectives on what is going on. It is a rewrite of a fairytale that I am not very familiar with. I was engrossed in it. It is one of those books that you read slower as you get toward the end because you don't want it to end. I also found myself having trouble moving on to another book because I liked this so much. Excellent!!



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23 Things for Professional Development

Well, I'm continuing on with 23 Things for Professional Development .  I hope that it proves as enlightening as Learn with CDLC.  I know that there will be some repetition and I'm sure I will miss some things what with the summer, but still it will keep me motivated and learning more.  Excited!

Thing 10: Future Trends

Okay, so I read/skimmed most of the articles.  Call me a skeptic, but I just can’t see books going away in the next 5 to 10 years despite what is being said.  Remember, the demise of books was predicted with the advent of radio, and TV, not to mention the rise of the internet.  At some point people, or at least some people, will want to disconnect from all of the electronics for a while.

With that said, I am sure that e-books will be a big part of the future.  We still have to get through the logistics of the digital divide though.  Despite what many people think, there are many people living in the greater capital district without broadband access, only dial-up.  (Not everyone has Verizon or Time Warner service in their area.  Even some of the professionals where I work don’t have it because they have been quoted $5000 + to get the service plus the monthly charges.)  There are people without computers, or with computers that are grossly inadequate for the current digital products.  Frankly, there are people without electricity!  Especially in this economy when people slowly drop services +/or fall behind in payments to keep a roof over their heads.

While getting the tablets or Nooks to give them access is certainly an option, with the current budget environment, there is no easy way to get universal access to enough of them to make a dent.  Then there is the question do we get Nooks and give up the people to support and teach the kids?!  Yes, I know grants are an option, but still…

Although I respect the Horizon Report, their statement that “nearly everyone carries some device that can function as an electronic reader” (Horizon Report One Year or Less: Electronic Books) shows the narrowness of their focus.  Maybe this is true for nearly everyone who is upper-class or upper-middle class, but certainly not everyone.  Try telling that to the migrant workers in the fields at our local farms. 

I liked what Seth Godin said in his blog, “the future, which is librarian as producer, concierge, connector, teacher and impresario.”  It fits well with my vision of the future of my library, and it fits with what kept me in my library for next year.  It is the personal touch that keeps people coming back to our libraries and valuing our services.  If we treat patrons like numbers with everyone being the same, we are doomed to failure.  Why do people like the social networking sites?  Because it makes their opinions matter and, thus, they matter.  The best thing we can do for our patrons, our libraries, and our selves is to make connections every day in every way we can. 

That is why technology is a great advancement because it can make that connection easier to make.  When we had to show everyone how to search with the card catalog and Readers Guide to Periodic Literature, searches took too long to really have any time left to connect.  When the librarian wasn’t actually checking something out or showing patrons how to find what they needed, they were creating those stupid (wonderful) cards!  While I may still complain about the time it takes to process my new materials, there is a lot more time to consider whose hands I should place it in.  With technology I can keep lists of who likes what genres.  When my brain fails me I can quickly look up who I gave book 3 to last week, and thus who might want book 4!  I can readily create my own databases.  I have one on ELA skills that I have shared with interested teachers.  I can bookmark important websites for future reference.  (I may be a dinosaur, but I still use IKeepBookmarks for the most part.) 

I wonder how the Horizon Report’s prediction about the importance of game-based learning will mesh with NCLB and the assessment craze.  While I am sure that game-based learning is the way to go to motivate students (I have been using it in my library when possible for 18 years), it is much more difficult to predict exactly what each child will get out of a game and if they will be able to regurgitate it for the assessments.

The video on the “Future of the Book” brought up several interesting options.  I like the Nelson idea.  It was really neat and I hope that it comes widely available.  The Coupland concept is really a Good Reads for work.  I am part of a professional reading group at work and I’m sure that if it were available we would incorporate its features.  In fact, I have invited several of the professional book group people to view my “new” Good Reads site.  The Alice concept is a little weird and spooky to me, kind of like an electronic version of the 39 Clues series.  But then, I never was much of a fan of the Choose-your-own-adventure type books.  Maybe I just use books to get into the author’s head.

Well, I’ve been babbling on.  I hope that I have answered enough of the points.  I also hope that this Learn with CDLC will have a sequel in the future.  I would love to do more.  It has been educational, enlightening, inspiring, and fun.

Thing updates

So, I have been reading an e-book on my Droid.  I borrowed it from the library.  The book is The Wilder Life.  The book is okay: interesting, but not fantastic.  It really isn't too hard to read on the phone, but I do get sick of tapping the screen to turn the pages.  I have also found that my hands cramp from holding the phone.  Finally, it is not as relaxing as a real book, maybe it is because of the light.  I have turned it to the dimmest setting, but I still feel a little reved up when I stop reading.  When I read a "real" book I am more relaxed and ready to sleep.  BUT, in the final analysis, I'm sure that e-books aren't going anywhere.  It is also pretty convenient to have a book on my phone when I am forced to sit around waiting for something.

On another front, I signed up to receive tweets from Twitter.  I just found out that Steve Caporizzo is on Twitter and that he gives frequent tweets during bad weather.  This seemed like a good way to keep aware of problems in case a tornado hits around here.  I downloaded the Twitter app for my Droid and it works well.  It shows a bird in the update bar when a new tweet comes in.

Thing 9: eBooks

Okay, so I chose a combination of  options.  I already had the Nook e-reader on my Droid phone.  I had only read some of the free books I got at the initial download.  Not compelling titles to me.  I knew that I didn't really like reading on the small screen of my phone, but I haven't gotten a tablet (yet) and I am not about to sit at the desktop to read a book. 

So, I went to my public library's site again to look for a book to borrow.  I found The Wilder Life and decided to go for it.  I must say that it still was quite difficult to download even though I already had the Overdrive software on the Droid.  It is very confusing that you have to register with Adobe and that your Adobe ID is your e-mail address??!!  Still I have the book at hand now and will start reading it.

I also read a bunch of the articles.  It seems to me that this whole battle between Amazon and the rest is a lot like the battle over VHS vs. Beta, or now DVD vs. Blueray.  At some point, someone will become the clear winner, but until then we are all pawns in the game.

I really haven't gotten into eBooks at my library for a few reasons.  One is cost.  Yes, I understand the advantages, but cost is a real problem for school libraries right now.  The other is accessibility.  Many of my students don't have real access at home.  Some will tell you that they have a computer at home, BUT it is not working, or it is not hooked up to the net, OR their parent(s) are on it all of the time, etc.  Even at school they really don't have sufficient access or time to utilize the eBooks.  A real book can be read anywhere they have light with anytime they have. 

Still, I am contemplating the plunge.  Personally, I'm wondering about a grant of some sort.  I used Donors Choose to try to get into the Playaway collection, but I am only getting a few.  I really need more money to do the eBook thing.

I am excited about the free books available, but I must be in a tough reading mode lately because I don't find much that I haven't read that I am interested in reading.  Maybe it is just because it is spring and I want some lighter reads. 

Certainly this is an area for more consideration on my part.  I will post about my experiences reading my new library eBook as it unfolds (so to speak).

A little addicting

Okay, so I'm seeing how this can all get a little addicting.  I think I will miss it when the class is over.  I keep checking back to look for comments, not that I have many.  Still I don't think I am in danger of becoming one of those people who stay up all night on the computer.

Thing 8: Video

Okay, so I tried options 1 and 3 so far.  I think I will try #2 at some point, but I wasn't feeling photogenic at the moment.  So...

Option 1: I looked at a video that had been sent to me on YouTube.  I decided to try to find it on Teacher Tube because it would be more accessible.  Success.  It was very easy to embed in the blog.  No worries!

Option 3: I went the Animoto route because I've never done it, but I have been interested.  I didn't understand that you have so little control over what is shown when and how.  Strangely, none of the text I entered showed up except the title!  Still, the idea of makeing a video is doable.  I either need more time with Animoto or maybe another product that gives you more control.  The Screenr option looks good, too.

I went to CSR's Technology in Education conference this week.  I learned that you can get a special downloader for FireFox that lets you download YouTube videos without all the ads and stuff.  Seems like a good idea.  I have to investigate. 

Also, related to this week's topic is NBC Learn.  Too bad it seems expensive because it sure could be useful. 

BTW: Regarding Social Networking.  There is another site I learned about at the conference.  My Fake Wall.  Sounds good for education purposes.  I'll have to check it out.

All in all this CDLC class is keeping me motivated and directed toward technology.  Sometimes I need a push.